Stall for starting race horses



Aug. 16, 1932. c. M. WAlTE STALL FOR STARTING RACE HORSES Filed April 13. 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet l Aug. 16, 1932. wAn-E 1,871,639

STALL FOR STARTING RACE HORSES Filed April 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 16,193?

cmams x. warmer woonnavmw, imw roan arm ron sraa'rme nacn noasns Application fled April 1a, 1928. Serial m. 269,650.

r My invention relates generally to race horse starting apparatus which has been developed by the modern practice of operatin race-tracks and which afl'ords much contro over the horses in lining them up at the startin point. 1

y "means of my resent improvements there is obtained practically complete controlover the horses at the start and greater facility is given in placing the horses in their assigned positions at the line, and little time and labor are required in sembling my mechanism on the track to tart the horses and, then to remove it after the start. Other Y is important advantages derived from the use of my inventions will ap ear hereinafter in the detailed description of 'my improvements. 1 have illustrated-a type of my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a unit of two of my improved starting stalls with the rear and front openings thereof closed, while the horses stand therein ready for the starting signal. In this figurethe 2 stalls are-shown with their wheelingcasters retracted so that the bottoms of the sidemembers of the stalls may rest directly on the ground of the race-track. Figure 2 shows an enlarged pers ctive 80 view of one of the skeleton side-mam rs of the stalls, with the ground-wheels projected inoperative positions for wheeling the stalls over the ground. p

Figure 3 shows on a reduced scale, a top plan view of my improved asse led stalls to the number, of twelve, with th rear and v front openings closed, ready for the start. i

Figure4 is an enlarged detail view of the bolt which is spring-actuated and is mounted on the free end of the swinging member on which the mat at the rear-of the stall is placed, the view being partly in section and partly brokenaway.

, 'Figure -shows an enlarged detail view in side" elevation, of themechani'sm for withdrawing the barriersor girdle which restrains the horse at front-exit until the start, said mechanis1 n being arranged within the skeleton'side-member, as shown. in Fig. 2. I 59 Figure 6 is a detail view of a portion of the universal barrier withdrawing bar, and shows how thefsame may be'coupled togetlrer between the. stall-units, when they, are assembled. s

Figure 7 shows an enlarged sectional view C;

' of the releasable fastener for holding the free end of the barrier when'closed, a ortion of the barrier being shown therewit z Figure 8 shows ,a vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 7, the plane of co the section being at right-angles to'that of Figure 7, and on a plane indicated by-the line '8,8, Fi re' 7. 5 Figure 9 s ow's a detail view in side elevationof one of the spring-actuated retracti-- b'le casters of the side-members of the stalls, the retracted pQsition of the caster being shown in dotted-lines and its wheelin posi- {ion on the ground being shown in t e full mes. e 1

Referring to the drawings, 1, indicates the side-member of a starting stall, a pair of said members being placed side-by-side parallel with each other and with their ends in alinement to form a stall, as indicated in Figures 1 and 3.- Each stall has a rear entrance at 2, and a front exit at 3, the entrance'being closed by a swinging member 4 and the'exlt by a retractible barrier or girdle 5, thus rovidmg a four-sided enclosureor b'ox-stal for the horse, which enters from the rear, when the closure is open, and starts from the front, when the barrier is withdrawn. The closure 4 for the entrance, is a'flexible memberorc ain covered with soft material, such as a rubber hose, and is hin ed at 6, to the frame of the side-member i 1), with its free. end provided with an or ary snap-hook 7, which looks with a fixed part (ikbn the 0 pcsite side-member of the stall, when close as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The closure 4, is

opened by hand to admit the horse and then closed, so that it confines thmhorse in: the stall and at the same time serves to hold the two side-members together in upright positions. v Q

. Near the rear end of each stall is arranged a swinging support 11, hinged to an n right of the side-member at 12, and rovide at its free end with a snap-hook having its 11, from which is suspended a heavy knicking-mat 13, of suitable material, such as oocoa, and this m'at serves to protect the horse from injuring himself when he kicks backwardly. This support also serves to secure the side-members together at a high point,

some distance from the rear ends, so that it aids in lending strength to this knock-down type of structure of my portable starting stalls. The front ends of the stall side-members are also given, a desirablestability in holding their proper positions before the start, by virtue of the barrier 5, connected to said sides at their tops. I

The stall side-members 1,1, are secured together at their bottoms near the rear ends, by means of cross bars 14, in the form of channel-bars with their flanges projecting downwardly and taking into the ground with a gripping effect which serves to hold the united sides front shifting as a unit on the ground of the race-track when the stalls are placed in position for the start of arace. As

prefer to associate the stalls in units of'two stalls or more, say up tothe number of five, the cross-bars 14, are in such cases long enough to take in all stalls of such units, and strengthen the structure accordingly, as each side-member is fixedly secured to the crossbars, but in a manner such as to have the same releasable, when desired.

The assemblage of the stall units which vary in the number of stalls in a unit, is shown in Figure 3, wherein at the left-hand end of the viewthere is shown a unit offour-stalls, composed of five side-members 1*, then a unit of three-stalls and one of three-stalls at the right-hand end, and as the space between adjacent units, indicated at 15 and 16, respectively, is utilized as a box-stall,by means of the rear-gates 1, 1, the mat supports 11,- and the barriers 5, 5, this provides a series of twelve starting stalls, made up from a set of threestall-units. As the unit groups can be handled readily, this ives great facility in setting up a large num er of stalls in a quick and expeditious manner and with less labor than if each stall should be set up separately at the time of starting a race. Thus the group units of stalls have an important advantage in apparatus of this class. 3

An effective stabilizing element for the stall side-members is provided by having the basal aieas thereof of a considerable width which added to the requiredlength gives extended contact between the standing side members and. the ground upon which they rest on the track. Moreover, the side-mem-' thereof sink into the ground of the racetrack sufiiciently to.increase the frictional contact with the ground, thereby enabling them to resist being displaced or accidentally II1110Ved by a horse pushing orknocking against 1: cm. a

The side-member Let the stalls consists in an open frame. structure which may be made from pieces of wood or metal. For this purpose, I am now using three-quarter inch pipe of metal, from which I make duplicate rectangular frames 17,17, which are connected together rigidly in parallel rela-- tion by cross pipe sections 18,980 as to form a six-sided cage-like structure having substantially the dimensions of from ten to elevenfeet in length, ten to eleven inches in width and about forty'inches in height.

Vertical brace-pieces 19, 20, are secured opposite each other tothe top and bottom rails of the frames 17, and strengthen the structu're at intermediate points. Upon the members 21 and 22, secured horizontally between the'braces 019 and 20, are mounted brackets 23'and 24, respectively, for receiving the vertical tube or sleeve 25, in which the stem 26, of the caster 27, is journaled, so that the 'proj ect the same into operative wheeling position (Fig. 2) when relieved ofpart of the dead weight of the side-member upon which it is mounted, and this automatic operation occurs whenever the operator lifts the sidememberso as to raise its bottom ofli the ground and at which moment the spring itself exerts a lifting force to aid the operator as the casters snap into projected positions. The spring-actuated casteris locked in projected position, Figs. 2 and 9) by means of a trigger or'sprmg catch 29, pivoted on a part 30,

secured between the frames 17. A spring 31,

on the tube or sleeve 25, acts upon'the trigger so as to keep it pressed into locked position in which it engages the top of the caster-stem 26, when the caster is projected. The caster 'isretracted when the stall is to be put in place, by means of a manually operated pullrod 32, having a handle 33, located at the front end of the side-member for convenient access by the operator who pulls the rod and unlocks the caster, at thesame time the sidemember islowered by grasping the handle bar 34, one of which is located at the front of the side-member and another at the rear,

and depressing the side=member against theground. a

.I prefer to use caster wheels about ten: inches in diameter with about two and a half inch tread in order to facilitate trundling the stalls over the ground. Two of the definisln For example, in a race where there berof the stall and t ey are arranged about equal. distances from the respective ends thereof, the pull-rod 32, being common to a pair of the casters so as to provide simultaneous operation. With a unit of four stalls, as shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 3, there are ten of the casters so that a large unit\like this can be rolled over the ground with much ease and requires little labor to handle it. ,Th' is an important advantage in assembling e stalls fora race andthen after the start, removing quickl in case the distance of the race requlres t e horses to cross the starting line in order to reach the are seven entries, a 'unit .of four stalls and one of two stalls are wheeled into .place at about thirty-eight inches, to accommodate the v of t In order to prevent the horses from comthe starting line and secured together with the space between the two units servin a stall and thus making seven stalls. he

from the space between the units, should be horse with the jockey mounted thereon and the height of the side-members is such that the Locke s feet in the stirrups clear the tops e s1 es ing in contact with parts-of the rigid iron be of suitable soft material and this is filled structure,I provide the rear ends of the sidemembers with a holder frame 65, which may with a body of hair-or like soft material so as to form a large pad, 66 as will be understood from Fi res 1 and 2, the canvas cover 64, enclosing t e same. I also cover the iron channel bars 14, which extend across the bot-' tom of-the stalls under the horses feet, with a rubber or similar soft material 67, which ma be'riveted to the bars.

he barriers or girdles 5 are constructe alike and operate in the same manner. Each one consists in a flexible rope or cable having its inner end connected to a large coil spring 35, which is secured at its other end to 'a turnbuckle 36, havin its inner end attached to a fixed point on t e frame 17, andwhen the barrier is pulled across the exit of the stall to close it, the sprin 35, is put imder tension and then acts to su denly retract the barrier when it is freed. This spring is kept in lace and prevented from w i ping about by its sudden action, by means 0 a guide cable or wire 37, the outer endof which is secured to a fixed point on the frame 17, and its in- A ner end is attached to the turn-buckle 36, by means of which the-guide wire is ke t taut,

the wire being' passed through the interior of the coil-spring.

' The free end 0 the barrier passes through a tubular guide 41, fixed on the front end of the side-member and has its end provided with a hook 42, with which it'is connected ;by means of an eye 39, of thebarrier and it is easily replaced by an attendant who is prepared to make this repair immediately.

A horizontally reciprocating bolt 43, having a keeper or casing 44, is arranged to be engaged by the hook 42, when the barrier is drawn across the exit to close it, and to hold the barrier closed until released b with.- drawal of the bolt. The barrier It is. mounted in its casing 44, which is secured. to a fixed cross-piece 18, of the. frame structure, (Fi s. 2 and 5), and .the bolt is provided with with its respective ends bearing agalnst fixed points, the inner one of which is a bracke 46, secured fixedly to the bolt and projecting forwardly to the front of the side-member where it is formed with a handle 47, b means of which the operator pulls the brac et forwardly and compresses the spring, so as-to place the bolt under spring tension. when in tion by means of an L-shaped tri 48, which rocks on a horizontal axis on the ame 17 on cross-piece 49, and has one end disposed so as to engage the end of the bolt 43, and hold it Inlocked position, while the other end is connected with a pull-cord 50, which is secured at its other end to. a rocking-arm 51, fastened to a rock-shaft 52, mounted across the base of the .side-member 1, in bearin s '53. vA

a. spring 45, surrounding the bolt spring '54, connected with the roc ing-arm, acts to normally rock the arm backwardlv and thereby move the trip 48, out of the path of the bolt and permit its sprlng to withdraw the bolt from its locked position and there by release the connected barrier. The rockshaft 52 is provided with'a' fixed piece orfinger 55, arranged within a bracket 56, on the frame structure, and a hand-pin 57, holds the finger and prevents the sprlng 54, from drawin' back the bolt. The tri 48 is sustained 1n bolt-locking position, y a spring 58,. fixed upon a cross-bracket 59, on the frame and through whichbracket the bolt N slides (Figs. 2 and 5) The barrier is released by the operator pulhng out pin 57 which calls into play the spring 54, and rocks the shaft 52, which is madeuniversal so that all the barriers are simultaneously and quickly withdrawn by its action, thereby affording an even I start for all the horses. The rock-shaft extends across the full width of the stall-unit on which it is mounted, and where the spaces between the units occur,'as at 15 and 16, Fig. 3, a removable section 60, is employed, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The open frame work of which the sidemembers is constructed,is covered by a sheet of wire-mesh 63, over which is stretched and secured snugly in place, a canvas or fabnc cover 64.. This improves the appearance of the apparatus when put in place on the race track and it also has a quieting effect on the horses, many of which are'very restive and would be apt to be disturbed by an uncovfrom the view of the spectators and this is an advantage. in apparatus of this class.

I wish to be understood as not limiting my invention to the specific constructions herein set forth, as it is manifest that various changes may be made in the different parts of the apparatus, without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus of the class described, portable units of one or more stalls having broad-based side members firmly secured together in operative positions so as to rest directly on the ground, and ground-gripping bars secured transversely across the bottoms of two or more of said side members for holding them in place said stalls having a "entrance at the rear and an exit at the front of each stall, retractile barriers for closing the eXitsspring-actuated means for retracting said barriers, means for locking said barriers in closed positions under tension of their springs, and means for simultaneously releasing said barriers for withdrawal by said spring actuated means said releasing means comprising a sectional universal Bar having. sections mounted across said side- 5 members at the ground line and provided with detachable sections for coupling the said mounted sections between the stall units.

3. In apparatus .of the class described, starting stalls having side-members with an entrance at the rear and an exit at the front, retractile barriers for said exits and springactuatedmeans for retracting them, means for holding the barriers closed, means or releasing said barriers, and a universal ar at the rear for controlling said releasing means; said universal bar being mounted across the bottoms of said side-members and serving also to keep them stable.

4. In apparatus of the class described, starting stalls having side-members consisting in frames having crosspieces connecting them together in spaced apart relation and providing a six-sided open work structure. spring-actuated retractible casters for said members, retractible barriers for closing the stall exit and mounted on said side-member, means for locking and releasing said barriers, the said parts being mounted on and housed by said open work structure.

5. Horse-race starting stalls comprising portable units of one or more stalls each having a rear entrance and a front exit, said stalls having suitably spaced sides adapted to rest directly on the ground when in position for starting a race, the width of the resting base of said sides being comparatively wide in proportion to the height to laterally stabilize the same, and connecting means extending across and secured to f the bottoms of adjacent stall sides at the ground level to hold them in upright position during transportation and operation, and disposed at the rear of said stall so as to leave the ground forward thereof unobstructed for the horse to stand on, said connecting-means being capable of servingas the sole'fixed connection between said sides.

6. Horse-race starting stalls comprising movable units of one or more stalls each having suitably spaced vertical sides provided with relatively broad bottoms for resting on the ground, each stall having a rear entrance and a front exit. and connecting means extending across the bottoms of adjacent stall sides and secured thereto over a considerable distance of the lengths of said sides and to the rear of the place where the horse stands so as to leave the ground and stall space forward of said means clear of obstruction, said connecting-means being capable of serving as the sole fixed connection between said sides to provide a rigid andstable structure.

7. Horse-race starting stalls comprising movable units of one or more stalls each having suitably spaced sides formed of open frame work having a substantially wide skeleton bottom forresting on the ground, each stall having a rear entrance and a front exist said frame-work having spacedlongitudinal bottom bars, and a series of widely spaced connecting members extending across said bottom-bars of said framework and secured thereto in trussed relation for uniting the sides and sustaining them firmly in upright positions.

8. Horse-race starting stalls consisting in portable units of one or more stalls having suitably spaced. sides provided with broad bottoms for resting on the ground, each stall having a rear entrance and a front exist. means connecting the bottoms of adjacent sides together so as to maintain them in imright positions and unobstructive of the stall space above'the ground level, and said sides being provided with ret actile ground-wheels with means for projecting them and holding them projected during transportation of said unit, said stallsides resting upon the ground when the ground-wheels are retracted.

provided with bottoms ofa width enabling sides and secured to each at the ground level,

thereof rearwardly of the place from where the horse starts leaving the ground clear in 9. Horse-race starting stallshaving sides them to stand alone on the ground, cross-connecting 7 bars disposed transversely of said each side being provided with retractile ground-wheels for trundling the side over the ground, .each stall having a rear entrance and a front exit, means for projecting said 10 ground-wheels and holding them projected,

means detachably securable between a pair of said sides at the rear for closing the space such place, for the horses footing, said connecting-means being capable of serving as the .sole fixed connection between said sides.

14. Horse-race starting-stalls comprising portable units of one or more stalls, each stall having parallel vertical sides, with a rear entrance and a front exit, and connecting membetween them, and a releasable barrier' disposed between said pair of sides for temporarily closing the space at the front.

bers extending transversely of said sides and secured thereto so as to unite them, said transverseconnecting members being disposed at 8Q 10. Horse-race starting stalls consisting in portable units of one or more stalls havin suitablyspaced sides provided with broad bottoms for resting on the ground, means 'connecting the bottoms of opposite sides together so as to maintain them in upright positions, the sides being provided "with a set of vertically reciprocating retractile casters having means for projectin them into wheelingpositions on the groun means for looking the casters in projected positions, and connections for simultaneously releasing the casters and said releasing means being accessible to the operator for manipulation when positioning the stalls on the ground.

- 11. In apparatusof the class described,

' starting stalls formed in portable units of one or more stalls and'transportable as such,

said units being capable of assemblage sideby side on the race-track in spaced apart relation so that the space between adjacent units forms a starting stall, each said stall including said inter-unit stall having an entrance at the rear and an exit at the front, and Y removable barrier means for temporarily:

controlling said exits.

12. In apparatus of the class descrided, starting stalls having side members with a rear entrance and a front exit, each exit being provided with a 'retractile barrier having its retracting means mounted upon "one of the stall sides, locking-means for the free end of said barrier molfited uponthe other stall side for retaining the free end of said barrier, said lockin means comprising a horizontally'sliding olt provided. with a spring normally acting to retract the bolt, a trigger for directly engaging said bolt and holding it in shot position against the action of the spring, and pull-connections connected with said trigger for actuating it to release the 13. In apparatus of. the class described, portable starting-stalls having side members constructedof box-like open frame-work with a substantial width at the baseand arranged so that the open frame-work base rests upon the ground to assist in holding the sides in place on the ground when in position for starting a race, each stall having a rear enthe base of said sides in contact with the ground when the units are placedthereon for-a race and serving to maintain the stallsides in vertical positions unobstructive of the stall space between said sides when the units are so placed, and leaving the ground where the horse stands in starting position wholly exposed for the horses footing.

15. Horse-race starting-stalls comprising portable units of one or more stalls, each stall having parallel vertical sides with a rear entrance and a front exit, connecting members extending transversely of said sides and secured thereto so as to unite and sustain them, said transverse connecting members being dis osed at the base of said sides in=contact wit the ground when the units are placed thereon for a race and serving to maintain the stall-sides in vertical positions unobstructive of the stall space between said sides when the units are so placed, and leaving the ground where the horse stands in starting position wholl exposed for the horses footing, said sides being provided with trundling ground-wheels relatively adjustable vertically with respect to said transverse connecting members, whereby said wheels may be brought into action to transport said units, or

said connecting members maybe placed in eontactwith the ground.

16. In apparatus of the class described, portable starting stalls having vertical side members with broad bottoms for resting on the ground and having an entrance at the rear and an exit at the front, means detachmembers at a low level for securing them to- F gether during transportation and in operation on the race-track, said connecting-means being nobstructive of the stall space thereab'ove hen the apparatus is in operative position on the track.-

17. Horse race startin provided with ground contacting bottoms of a width permittin the sides to stand alone on the ground an leaving the ground unstalls comprisingportable sets of stalls eac stall having sides covered where the horse stands, said sides being suitably spaced apart to provide stall space having a rear entrance and a front exit,

the stall space from the ground up being un-,

obstructed by fixed connections when the stalls 'are in place for starting a race, and a removable barrievfor controlling the exits.

18. In apparatus of the class described, portable sets of starting stalls, each stall comprising vertic lside-members spaced apart in para lel rela on, and uniting means secured to the ,respective side members transversely thereof at a low level and substantially rearward of the horse when starting and capable of serving as the sole fixed means for securing said side-members together in operative vertical positions, so that when the stalls are in position on the track for starting a race said uniting means rests on the ground and supports the apparatus.

19. In apparatus of the class described, portable sets of starting stalls, each stall comprising, vertical side-members spaced apart in parallel relation, uniting means secured to the respective side-members transversely thereof and constructed and arranged to rest upon the ground and support the side-members in operative vertical positions when starting a race, said apparatus being provided so with ground-wheels, the said ground-wheels and uniting means being relatively adjustable vertically, whereby either said groundwheels or said uniting means may be placed in contact with the ground.

Signed at New Orleans in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana this fourth day of April, A. D. 1928. CHARLES M. WAITE. 

